October 20, 2011

Another sketch, and the Gap of Dunloe, Ireland

Getting a coffee fix… I know that this piece is quite different from the previous few. Are things going astray? I’ll keep drawing and see what I end up with.

Now onto another totally unrelated topic…

The Gap of Dunloe in Killarney, Ireland is a popular tourist destination. When we were in Ireland in 2009, my husband and I decided to cover the area by bicycle.

Before the ride, we load our bikes onto a boat which took us across 3 lakes.

It was very peaceful.

Except when our boat got stuck, and a couple of men were asked to get off to give it a push away from the bank

I’ve taken a lot of photos along the way, but just a few here…

When we arrived at the other end of the 3 lakes, we were surrounded by mountains.

The route was hilly (500 feet elevation), and it was one of the most difficult bike rides I’ve experienced. There was a lot of huffing and puffing! (Of course, if cycling is not your thing, other options are walking or getting on horse drawn carts).

When we hired the bikes, I didn't think about how difficult it might be. That was a good thing, because although it was difficult, it turned out to be one of my most memorable experiences.

The vast open area and the view were just magnificent. And we met a some furry friends.

11 comments:

I'm glad you were riding and not me. I would have taken the horse and cart. The last shot is lovely and a typical Irish scene. Although a tough ride I guess you were chuffed at the end for doing it.The drawing could be dedicated to my husband who will go to any lengths to get a coffee.

What a beautiful and ambitious trip. Ireland is glorious as shown in your photographs.

I like the drawing too--but I'm curious: what's the stuff floating on top of the coffee? Is there a cafe latte I don't know about--not that I know about any of the weird coffees people are drinking out there. I take my black. I don't think you're going astray; you're just following your own lead.

After going through the difficulties, the experience becomes memorable. Huffing and puffing might have been part of the bike trip, but you showed there was much more to it than that. I really love the scenery – wild, serene, and soothing. The double arched bridge is lovely. Thank you, Evelyn, for taking us along. The sketch looks interesting trial. Keep up the good work.

I join the others who say they want to visit Ireland... and I'd like to do on bike. We biked around Kaiping County a few weeks ago, and it told me that I'd want to train a bit before embarking on such an adventure. Did you? How long was the bike ride? The most painful part, though was my butt, and I'm not sure how that can be avoided. I super like your shot of the winding road!